Human IL-17A (CTLA-8, Swiss Prot Q16552, further named as IL-17) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by a subset of memory T cells (called Th17) that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS. IL-17A plays a role in the induction of other inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules. Treatment of animals with IL-17A neutralizing antibodies decreases disease incidence and severity in autoimmune encephalomyelitis (Komiyama, Y. et al., J. Immunol. 177 (2006) 566-573). IL-17A is over-expressed in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients (Hellings, P. W. et al., Am. J. Resp. Cell Mol. Biol. 28 (2003) 42-50; Matusevicius, D. et al., Multiple Sclerosis 5 (1999) 101-104; WO 2005/051422). In addition, IL-17A neutralizing antibodies reduce severity and incidence of mouse RA model of collagen induced arthritis, and high levels of IL-17A can be detected in the synovial fluid of inflamed joints from RA patients (Ziolkovvska, M. et al., J. Immunol. 164 (2000) 2832-38; Kotake, S. et al., J. Clin. Invest. 103 (1999) 1345-52; Hellings, P. W. et al., Am. J. Resp. Cell Mol. Biol. 28 (2003) 42-50).
WO 96/17939, U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,623; WO 95/18826; WO 97/15320; WO 99/35276 and WO 00/69436 WO 95/18826 U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,274,711, 6,274,711, WO 97/15320, U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,372, WO 2006/013107 and WO200802115 relate to IL-17A and antibodies against IL-17A.